Rishikesh Mayor Election voters divided between Hill and Plains

DAINIK NATION BUREAU/RISHIKESH

The Rishikesh Mayor seat has emerged as a focal point in Uttarakhand’s civic elections. This seat has highlighted a deep political and social divide. Voters have divided between hill and plain and they have overlooked the candidate from the state-building regional party. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), which has gone on sideline for the last several years, has been championing regional issues. Instead, a significant section is supporting an independent candidate, formerly associated with Congress, who lacks the Uttarakhandi identity that UKD represents. This division is inadvertently strengthening the BJP candidate’s position.

The independent candidate, while drawing a substantial anti-government vote, is neither positioned to secure victory nor aid in creating a credible alternative. The fragmentation of anti-BJP votes mirrors the Kedarnath by-election, where similar dynamics played out. Observers argue that agents of national parties and over-ambitious individuals, allegedly sponsored to disrupt UKD’s prospects, are misleading the electorate. This strategy is weakening regional aspirations by splintering votes across independents and national parties.

The election’s core issue—opposing the liquor-land mafia system and defeating BJP-backed candidate Shambhu Paswan, perceived as a representative of outside influence—is being overshadowed by emotional polarization. To strengthen regional politics, voters aligned with regional ideology must consolidate their support behind UKD. Only through unity can UKD emerge as a viable third option in Uttarakhand politics and counter candidates like Shambhu Paswan in future elections. Failure to recognize this now risks further erosion of regional identity and continued dominance of national parties over local governance.